This invention relates to picture lights of the type that have a fitting at one end which can be mounted on the picture or wall with an arm extending forwardly therefrom having a light at its remote end whose beam can be directed onto the picture.
Picture lights are known which have a light bulb or bulbs mounted in an elongate shade or hood, usually made of a metal such as brass, which is attached to the arm by a pivot or swivel joint. This allows the angle of the shade to be adjusted relative to the arm so that the beam of light emanating therefrom can be directed onto the picture. However, this limited adjustment only allows the beam of light to be directed in the general direction of the picture so there is no control over the size of the pool of light which actually impinges on it. Thus, the perimeter of the pool of light can, in one instance, extend well beyond the edges of the picture or, in another, not even reach the edges of the picture which means that the picture is not illuminated to its best advantage.
The aim of the invention and the technical problem to be solved thereby is to provide a picture light which enables the perimeter of the pool of light which impinges on the picture to be adjustable so that it can be made to conform to the particular size of the picture to be illuminated.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a picture light which enables the size of the pool of light falling on the picture to be adjusted to any required size.
According to the present invention there is provided a picture light comprising an arm with mounting means at one end thereof for mounting said arm on a wall or a picture to be illuminated, a hood or shade at the other end of said arm with at least one bulb mounted therein in an electrical fitting which, in use, generates a pool of light characterised by adjustable light directing means on the hood operable to adjust the configuration of the perimeter of the pool of light falling on the picture.
In the preferred embodiment, the light directing means includes adjustment means operable to enable the pool of light to be directed toward and onto the picture, the light directing means also including first movable means operable to adjust the height of the pool of light falling on the picture and second movable means operable to adjust the width of the pool of light falling on the picture.
Conveniently, said adjustment means comprises a pivot joint connecting the hood to the arm so that the hood can be rotated relative to the arm about a horizontal axis. The end of the arm mountable on a wall or the picture preferably has a fitting attached thereto received in a bracket mountable on the wall or picture, the end of the arm being attached to said fitting by a second pivot joint which forms part of said adjustment means so that the arm can be rotated relative to the fitting about a horizontal axis.
In the preferred embodiment, the first movable means comprises a pair of spaced vertical plates which are mounted within the hood by means whereby they can be moved towards or away from each other.
Conveniently the hood has an end wall at each end thereof and each plate is mounted on a threaded shaft which extends through an end wall, the end of the shaft protruding to the exterior of the end wall having means thereon which can be rotated by a user to cause the plate attached to the shaft to move axially of the hood.
Preferably the hood has an inwardly directed lip along each side thereof and each plate is configured to have the same shape as the cross section of the hood.
Conveniently, resilient biasing means such as a coil spring are mounted between each end wall and the adjacent vertical plate, each plate having a foot extending outwardly therefrom at 90xc2x0 thereto. In the preferred embodiment, the second movable means comprises a plate pivotally attached to said foot to rotate in a horizontal plane relative thereto.
Conveniently, each plate is made of sheet metal and is shaped like a truncated right angled triangle, the truncated top and bottom edges of said plate being parallel to each other.
Preferably each plate has a protrusion extending downwardly therefrom which can be engaged by a user to pivot said plate relative to the vertical plate on which it is mounted thereby varying the width of the pool of light falling on the picture.
Conveniently the hood is releasably attached to the fitting on the end of the arm for each bulb being mounted in said fitting so that the hood can be removed from the arm without having to remove the or each bulb from its electrical fitting.
In the preferred embodiment, the hood has an aperture in the rear wall thereof through which the or each bulb protrudes. In the preferred embodiment, the fitting at the end of the arm has locating means protruding therefrom on which the hood locates to attach it to the arm.
The light fitting may include a transformer to step down the voltage supplied to the or each bulb from 240V to 12V but it will be appreciated that the picture light of the present invention can operate at 240V.